An examination of the weird, the unstoppable, the mesmorizing, and the unfortunate interests of society at large.

Winter La-La Land

While sitting in Jazzman’s Cafe in the Social Sciences building on campus, I watched the people bustling in and out of the doors. It was forty-three degrees outside, probably colder with the wind-chill, and the sun had already set for the day. Despite the weather, the students were dressed in an odd variety of wardrobe choices, ranging from knit hats, scarves, and pea coats, to shorts, tee shirts, and dresses.

Every year when winter begins blowing, I am curious to see how many people attempt to fight the change in seasons and continue wearing their summer attire. That guy who’s still wearing khaki shorts and flip flops nearing Christmas Day. The girl who wears her tiny jean skirt and UGG boots, not needing anything in between. I often wonder what these people are trying to prove and if they know they look stupid as hell.

On said day in Jazzman’s Cafe, I saw eight such ridiculously dressed individuals, within about twenty minutes. Here I sat, indoors, with my black pea coat still on and buttoned up, my scarf still loosely hanging around my neck, holding a steaming cup of coffee hoping it would bring the feeling back into my fingers, while these people traipsed past me in various states of what I can only refer to as “undress.” A girl wearing a blue, strappy sundress covered in bright flowers and sandals. A guy wearing a giant threadbare Insane Clown Posse teeshirt that made me question what was still holding it together. And a girl wearing the tiniest “club” dress I’ve ever seen (I’m pretty sure it was just a very tiny sparkly shirt). I’m just glad she was wearing underwear…

I’m a girl. I get wanting to look good. I get that winter isn’t exactly the season you walk around looking your “hottest,” but I can promise you that pneumonia looks even worse than your most chunky of sweaters. And guys? Girls just think you look like a stupid idiot wearing shorts and a teeshirt in the dead of winter. Your Polo shirts would look so much better peeking out from the collar of a sweater or long-sleeved shirt. Promise. And blue, frost-bitten toes are a huge turn off. They make really cute socks nowadays.

What possesses people to loathe throwing on a coat and pants when it’s cold outside? Particularly if you’re having to trudge around campus, inevitably spending a fair amount of time outside in the cold. With all the thousands, millions of choices these days of winter-wear, why would you rather freeze your ass off just to stand out in the crowd. Is it some sort of new attempt at being unique? Does it say something about your character? “Oh no, I’m a badass. I don’t feel the cold. I’m really a reptile…”

And don’t give me the excuse that you’re from the North. Near freezing is still pretty fucking cold up there, too. And I doubt you wore your Rainbow’s around up there. I’m not impressed, and I’m pretty sure any potential person you *might* strike up a conversation with is going to ask you about your mental stability for showing up in such an outfit. If that’s your idea of a pick-up line, you really should have read more as a child. You need a new imagination.